Murky water
by merdarkandtwisty
Summary: Picks up where A year in the life left off. Because Rory has made a mess of her life and Jess doesn't have the patience to fix her again. There is a baby on the way and the murky water surrounds them. can he be the Luke to her Lorelai?
1. It all goes to Hell

I don't own Gilmore girls

A/N Warning, Warning this isn't going to be some fluffy gooey Jess falls at Rory's feet in adoration fic. This is going to be raw angsty and gritty. It's going to be a long up hill battle but in the end he's the Luke to her Lorelai so I have faith in them.

"Mom,"

"Yeah."

"I'm pregnant. "

"What?"

"Pregnant." She twisted her hands.

"It's Logan's baby."

"Isn't he getting married. didn't Paul just break up with you? My head is spinning."

"Yes to both. It's complicated."

"Okay Hun I need more details but right now we have a wedding to get ready for." She shook her head looking at her little girl not so little anymore seemingly destined to repeat her mistakes.

"Yeah you're right lets get this show on the road." With that the two Gilmore girls hurried to the inn to get Lorelai married. some vows and two flash mobs later Rory found herself looking across the square at Jess. She took a deep breath and sat down across from him.

"Champagne?" He held up the bottle

"I can't?"

"Why not? Going soft on me?"" she swallowed and looked at him. fear running through her veins.

I'm pregnant. It's Logan's baby and I don't know why I'm telling you this but I figured you deserved to know. "all the words rushed out of her like a title wave refusing to stop. A weight lifted and settled on her shoulders.

"Weren't you dating that Paul.. Peter. P guy?" Jess felt ill he felt like he'd been slapped here he'd been brooding about other things. Things that hurt but shouldn't matter. He didn't think he'd get something else to add to it. Something that would punch him the gut and have him down for the count.

"Yeah he broke up with me today."

Jess took the time to take in that information. "But then how?"

"Logan and me met in Germany a few years back he's getting married a French Heiress it was a what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas type thing only really London or Connecticut or Vermont or wherever we happened to land. She watched seeing emotion flash through his eyes.

He sat there stone cold silent. He couldn't move, couldn't think couldn't process. Who was this girl in front of him. and why was she telling him this it was like living in a very cruel world.

"Jess Say something." Rory pleaded looking at him. the shadow of the boy she loved at eighteen.

He scrubbed his hands over his face looking up at her. he refused to allow himself to fall into those ocean blue eyes. "What do you want me to say Rory?" He demanded. His voice harsh on the verge of breaking.

"Say something anything." Tears coated her words

He shook his head, took a deep breath huffed it out. Turned away from her. He bit his lip he couldn't look at her. "I…" He shook his head and went to stand up from the deserted town square.

"Please." She pleaded grabbing his arm stopping him. he turned and looked at her.

"God damn it Rory." He shouted whispered worried that the towns people were looking out their window which he figured they were. "Don't you ever learn. What are you nineteen again and sleeping with a married man." He hissed. "Twenty one and trying to get back at your boyfriend for cheating on you." He yanked his arm out of her hold and stalked off.

Rory felt like she'd been slapped. She could literally feel the physical pain of it on her cheek. She gasped a sob left her lips as she curled in on herself and held tightly to the table the edge biting into her hands. What had she done how had she ended up in this place? Thirty two and making the same mistakes her mother did at sixteen. And now Jess the one person who believed in her was disgusted by her. she could see it in his eyes hear it in his voice, in the words he'd spat at her.

"A fine mess you find yourself in Rory Gilmore." She muttered to herself standing up and trying to pull the wrinkle from her dress. She knew where he was going even if he didn't know and so she'd follow him.

"Stupid monkey suit." Jess growled yanking the tie from around his neck and pulling the coat off his shoulders. He wasn't sure how he'd ended up there but here he sat on the bridge. "Stupid bridge." He muttered throwing the offending garments to the ground and kicking off his shoes. He closed his eyes he wanted to scream. She was having Logan fucking Huntzberger's baby and to add to the mockery he was getting married to some French heiress. She always did go running back to him or to Dean but oh no Jess himself was never good enough for another chance." He shook his head.

"No use crying over spilled milk" Mariano. He muttered to himself. She made her choice and that choice led her to being a single mother to a playboy millionaire's baby. She'd been the mistress hell she'd been cheating on her boyfriend. P… Peter.. Paul whatever. "What have you done to yourself Rory Gilmore." He scowled looking into the murky water. He didn't know but what he did know is she'd made her bed and he wasn't going to fix it for her this time. he wasn't going to let her kick him and feel bad. It was time she looked fully in the mirror at herself.

He stood up his stocking feet snagging on the wooden bridge. He saw her coming long dress swishing against her legs and pulling him back so many years in the pass to another day near this bridge another bridesmaids dress. A younger him. a younger her.

"What." He snapped.

"Jess just listen." She pleaded.

"To what you slept with someone who was engaged, you had a boyfriend what more needs to be said Rory you're having his baby. What more needs to be said?" He was so tired bone tired.

"Why do you even care?" She spat back. "It's not like I cheated on you."

"Because you're better than this Lorelai Leigh you're better then someone who breaks up people who cheats who doesn't think of consequences. You're thirty two fucking years old. HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING?" By the end he was shouting his words whipping around them in the chilly fall air.

"How dare you." She poked him the chest. "You don't know anything about this about me."

"Give me a break. You jumped into bed with your ex playboy not caring who you hurt well good luck with that. Hopefully your child is smart enough not to follow in your footsteps. I wouldn't count on it though. You're thirty two and making worse mistakes then your sixteen year old mother."

"Oh give me a break my mother made worse mistakes when she was older than me." Or didn't you ever hear of her ill fated marriage to my father a few years back."

"Oh so it that your plan marry Logan? Oh wait but doesn't he have a fiancée?"

"Yes." Rory shivered the fall air whipping around her. "I mean no. I mean yes he has a fiancée no I'm not planning on marrying him. I don't even know what I'll tell him about the baby." Jess's jaw dropped. He sank to the boards of the bridge. Rory followed him.

She felt seventeen again. only she wasn't she was thirty two and she'd made a mess of her life. "Rory you have to tell him. This isn't fair. Give him a chance." Jess pleaded with her.

She snorted. "I never thought I'd see the day you'd stick up for a Huntzberger."

"Oh I still hate him don't get me wrong but don't do that your child. You know what it was like to grow up with a non existent father. Don't do it. Don't put your child in that position. You want them to have the Daddy's issues' you did. Maybe if Christopher had been around more. You wouldn't find yourself bed hopping and ruining life's now."

"Wow you sure do know how to paint me in a bad light don't you."

"No Rory you do that yourself." He stood up. "I can't clean up your mess Rory. I can't yell you into doing the right thing this time. it worked when you were twenty one but now you have a baby to consider. Make the right choices." He gathered his coat shoes and tie.

"Are we okay Jess?" she whispered.

"Not right now but we will be I think. I j Just wish…."

"You wish what?"

"I wish a lot of things, I wish you had been smarter. Had been the girl I know you can be. I wish I was thought more of then I am by you, by Lorelai by this town. I just wish things were different." His shoulders sank.

"What do you mean?"

"Really. So I'm sitting there in my stupid suit for Luke and what happens Michele comes up to me and says the wedding last night was better classier more elegant. And I'm looking at him like he's crazy as I say what wedding. And he precedes to tell me that Luke and Lorelai along with you Lane and himself snuck out last night and that Revered Skinner married them. so I'm sitting there at a fake wedding not even getting the curtesy of being invited to the real one. So that felt real good."

Rory's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, Jess. I.. we.. we didn't think I'm sorry about this all. She sniffed I guess I always run to you when it goes to hell and that's not fair so I'm sorry."

"Rory." It was the only thing he could say falling from his lips. A prayer. An admonishment everything he felt for her rolled up in one word. He turned leaving her on the bridge. He didn't look back as he walked away and she sat there frozen in that spot in time. she couldn't move couldn't blink as she watched his retreating back.

She pulled out her phone and dialed a familiar number. As the voice mail picked up she left a simple message. A simple message that was oh so complicated.

"Logan call me back it's important."

This was her mess she had to clean it up. She didn't' know where her life was taking her but it was time she really grew up she knew as she looked down at the murky water.


	2. Some more home truths

I don't own Gilmore Girls

His bag was packed. His car was ready to go and he wondered, should he say goodbye to Liz, to Luke to Lorelai to Rory. Did it matter did they even care. Well they hadn't cared enough to get him to the real wedding so he figured screw it. He got into his car and he sat there staring out at the streets he once hated. Time to head home. Back where he belonged. Philadelphia certainly not Stars Hollow.

"Rory's pregnant." Lorelai stood in front of the mirror the next day.

"What?" Luke was floored as he looked at his wife. "You want to repeat that?"

She turned to him. Took a deep breath and walked across the room of the inn to him. She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Rory's pregnant."

Luke shook his head stroking his hand down Lorelai's back. "I… Really?"

"Yeah it's Logan's baby and he's getting married and it's a mess." She felt tears falling from her eyes. He felt tears soaking his shirt.

"Hey." He lifted her head and looked into her tear shimmery blue eyes. "She's a big girl she's thirty two she'll be fine."

"Maybe." She shook her head dashing tears from her cheeks. "I feel like I've stepped back into the past. Haven't' I taught her anything I don't know?"

"She has to learn her own lessons." Luke sighed kissing Lorelai's forehead. "Now let's get out of here. I'm sure Rory's at the house and you want to talk to her so let's do that. I know not to get between the Gilmore girls."

She gave a watery chuckle.

"Has anyone seen Jess?" Luke asked as he and Lorelai came into the crap shack. They were leaving for their honeymoon but not for a few more days.

"I think he left." Rory said tiredly. Her body rebelling against all the emotions of the last few days.

"He left he didn't even say goodbye."

"That would be my fault or maybe yours or both of ours or all of ours. I don't know." She laid her head on the table and wondered if her mother had told Luke the news or not.

"Well I'm guessing you told him about Baby Huntzberger then but what the hell did I do?" Luke demanded.

"Oh you didn't invite him to the real wedding but made him come to the shame of a wedding and dress in a monkey suit."

Luke and Lorelai's mouth's dropped open. "The Real Wedding?"

"Yeah the one the night before the big wedding. Michel told him. He's pissed by the way. Not as pissed as he is at me but pissed none the less.

"He's pissed at you?" Lorelai asked sitting down at the table.

"Oh yeah I'm surprised he didn't call me a whore or a slut I can tell he wanted to though. He yelled at me told me he was disappointed in me that I hadn't learned any lessons that he wasn't going to fix me this time. Then he left."

"Why that little." Lorelai sputtered.

"No." Rory shook her head. "He's right but he's always right isn't he. Always there to tell me the god's honest truth and not care how harsh it is. He's right this is my mess. He's right I didn't learn. I called Logan he didn't answer I left a voice mail for him to call me but Jess is right I have to let him in the babies life. I have already made enough of your mistakes I can't make another." She sighed pushing off the table and stood up. Leaving a confused Luke and a hurt Lorelai.

"She's already made enough of my mistakes she can't make another what does that even mean?" Lorelai looked at Luke.

He could see the hurt waring with anger and pain in her blue eyes. He shook his head. "I think she's talking about the lack of Christopher in her life and the choices you made in regards to him at sixteen. At least if I was following the conversation right that's what I got."

"I made the right choke back then. I didn't keep her from him."

Luke just gave Lorelai an are you kidding look. "Lorelai I love you but you made some fucked up decisions in your younger years. At least own that."

"I thought you said she had to learn her own lessons?" Lorelai snapped.

"And she does that doesn't mean that you have some amends to make yourself. It sounds like she's learned a lesson. That she's followed some of your footsteps but she can't follow that one. I think you need to go and talk to her. I have my own phone call to make. It seems I have my own apology's to make."

Lorelai sighed and stood up she went to Rory's room pushing the door open she watched her for a moment. Wishing she was a kid again when it was easier.

"Kid that wasn't cool." Lorelai told her as she stood against Rory's door looking at her daughter laying across the bed. Pillow over her head.

Rory sat up the pillow clutched to her chest. "Not now mom. I can't take one more person telling me what a screw up I am."

"No but you can tell me that you won't make another one of my mistakes. How lovely that was and then Luke taking your side."

Rory rolled her eyes. "Sorry okay I'm sorry but I went to see dad after I found out I was pregnant."

"You told your father before you told me?" Lorelai was horrified. Had she lost her daughter that much.

"No I didn't tell him. Right now you Luke and Jess are the only ones who know. Oh hell I have to tell grandma." Rory groaned.

"Yeah good luck with that one. So you went and saw Christopher?"

"Yes I wanted to know why he was the way he was. Why he was never around. He basically said you were a force to be reckoned with you wanted your way to raise me here away from everything and he let you do it. That in the end he loved me but it was for the best and maybe it was. "She shrugged.

"I was sixteen and scared and I made a lot of mistakes I'll admit that. Luke is making me admit that." Lorelai grumbled.

Rory chuckled lightly. "Jess basically word slapped me telling me to not deny Logan his child that I didn't want him/her to have daddy issues like I did." Rory held up her hand seeing that her mother was about to object. "Mom seriously look at my romantic history especially this last year." She just stared at her mother.

"Okay yeah so maybe Jess has a point you have some issues with men."

"Some." Rory snorted trying to find maybe a little humor in the mess she'd created.

"Okay you have a lot, you have more issues then Tiffany's has diamond rings."

"Hey." Rory cried out indignantly "I don't have that many." She pouted.

"Okay maybe not that many." Lorelai conceded.

"Mommy." Rory scooted close to her mother wishing she was a child again.

"Yeah baby."

"Everything will be okay won't it?"

"In the end yes it will but the climb to get there will be hard. I'm sorry I wish I could tell you it would be easy sailing and it will be a bit easier for you because you're older but it will be harder too because he's marrying and your child will have a step mother before she's even born."

"If he even wants anything to do with me or the baby." Rory sighed leaning her head against her mother's shoulder.

"Rory if there is one thing I know it's that Logan Huntzberger loves you. That boy would move heaven and earth for you and maybe you two are toxic for each other and a romantic relationship would never work for the two of you, because no matter how much grandma wanted it you and Logan come from different worlds and you can't straddle that line forever it's too hard." She kissed her daughter's forehead, "get some sleep sweets."

"I love you mommy." Rory muttered feeling her eye lids get heavy as Lorelai eased away from her.

"And I love you too Rory." Lorelai shut off the light and watched her daughter sleep in the moon light about to become a mother herself.

A/N next up Luke has some amends to make. And Jess has some things to work out. Thanks to everyone who took the time to follow, fav and review.


	3. His own hell

I don't own Gilmore girls

Jess was working on a manuscript trying to edit though it was trash so there wasn't much hope for it he knew. He wasn't sure what they'd been thinking when they'd taken it on. okay he did they were thinking Jess wasn't there, and he hadn't been so it had fallen to Chris and Matt and lets face it they sucked at picking out new authors. No they were better with the art. The finished product. Jess was the one who worked with the writers.

After going through more than one red pen Jess was pulled out of his frustration by the ringing of his phone.

"Hello."

"Jess."

"Uncle Luke why are you calling shouldn't you be with your new bride?"

"Yes, yes she's off with Rory so I thought I'd take time to call you." Rory of course Jess wasn't really surprised where this conversation was going.

"Yes and.."

"You said you were over her. So what's all this about. Why do you care so much?"

"What are you even talking about?"

"She told us you yelled at her for being pregnant and the decisions she made." Jess felt his blood boil slightly.

"I don't care that's she's having a baby, I don't even care that she's having his baby. I care that she's thirty two and still as irresponsible as she was at nineteen at twenty one. I care that she's a disaster and that she'll expect me to save her again. The way I have every time she's fucked up."

"Huh what are you even talking about?"

"Why don't you ask her about when I came to show her my book? Or about the bridesmaids. Or her tear soaked appearance in Philly after she turned down his proposal. I can't fix this, her again. I won't."

" I don't…. I what?" Luke was so confused.

"She's not the solid gold princess everyone in that crazy town of yours wants to make her out to be. Its time people stop giving her pass after pass. It's time she cleans up her act. She has a baby coming. Time for little miss town princess to grow up." He snapped. He was pissed getting the third degree for hurting miss perfects feelings like he was the one that did something wrong. "Did you just call to bitch at me about Rory?"

"No." Luke tried to clear his mind, put all the things his nephew had just thrown at him into perspective.

"Well then why did you call. I am busy here Luke. You know I do have a job one I was pulled away from to go and save mommy dearest and attend your wedding. "

"Right, yes that's why I called. You see Jess I'm well I'm sorry."

"You're sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry we didn't' think to invite you to the first wedding. Rory told us you were mad about it."

"It's fine. It's par for the course with my life after all. Some people get all the breaks some can never get any." He shrugged running his hands through his hair even though Luke couldn't see him.

"No Jess it isn't okay, I should have thought. You came to help me and you did me a favor by being my best man. You deserved to be there."

"More then that crazy French man anyway." Jess snorted.

"Yeah him. Anyway I'm sorry Jess."

"It's fine I don't think you did it on purpose. I wasn't to mad about it. It just got put on top of finding out Rory was pregnant and the fact that Doula kept asking me why I never called Liz mom. Yeah that was a fun question to sidestep. "

Luke cringed. "What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything I just shrugged and gave her five bucks."

"Bribing your little sister now."

"Better then telling her the nitty gritty truth of Liz. No ten year old needs to learn that about their mother." Jess shook his head as he ran a pen over a manuscript her was editing.

"She really is a good mother to her."

"Luke I know that. Which is why I wouldn't pop that perfect family bubble Doula lives in."

"Right well again I'm sorry Jess and know I'm always here if you need anything."

"Right yeah okay, thanks Luke and it's okay. I'll see you." With that Jess hung up the phone and looked down at the red pen in his hands.

"Hey Man you okay?" Chris asked.

"Yeah I'm fine. Just looking over this manuscript. I think it's junk by the way this Is the third red pen I've been through." He tossed the pen into the trash.

"Well if you can find any good talent we're looking you know." And with those words Jess flashed to Rory and her book because he knew even if he was pissed at her that her book would be good. That Truncheon should snap it up.

"I may have a lead on that but I'll get back to you. Here take this." He thrust the manuscript at Chris. "I'm out."

"Okay man see you tomorrow." Jess just nodded grabbing his jacket. He went out of the bookstore and headed towards his apartment. He'd moved out of the tiny apartment above the store five years ago. A light drizzle was falling as he made the short walk home. His head going back through the years to another day kind of like this only spring.

She'd shown up at his door. Tears in her eyes rain falling around her. He'd let her and she'd cried on his shoulder about the turned down proposal. He'd held her as she poured out all her feels. He kept her away from the alcohol knowing wouldn't do any good for either of them. He'd let her sleep in his bed. Not that he got any sleep that night. He'd watched the moon light play across her face and in the morning she'd grabbed her things and met her bus and she was gone like that. As soon as she'd appeared. Sometimes he wondered if she'd been a figment of his imagination that spring day.

She'd told him about Logan cheating with London Bobbi of him wanting her to give it all up and move to California. And he shook his head letting himself into the apartment. Here she was having a baby by him. Of course that wasn't all she'd told him that night. She'd told him about Dean and their ill-fated third chance. So he didn't feel bad about the things he'd said because she never learned and he couldn't take it anymore and he wonder almost expected her to end up on his door step a mess of tears and regrets because it's how she always ended he wanted it and he didn't.

He scribbled some notes down on a pad of paper and he grabbed his lap top and he started to write because he had to get these thoughts these feelings out. He had get her ghost to leave his heart, his head. His very soul.

He poured his soul into page after page of his life. Something he was determined no one would ever see and he wondered what she'd write about him, if she'd write about him. What part did she see him having played in her past? In her future, as he wrote those thoughts and emotions propelled him on.

As Jess poured out his feelings Luke sat on the couch watching what he wasn't sure with Lorelai Jess's words running though his head and he debated asking Lorelai about it wondering what she knew of Jess and Rory's past but Lorelai wasn't and still isn't the biggest Jess fan. She tolerated him for Luke's sake he knew but she still blamed him for breaking Rory. At that moment though Luke wasn't so sure Jess hadn't been more hurt by Rory then she'd ever been hurt by him.

Life had a way of showing you things you'd never expect and both Danes men had come to learn that in different ways. Luke tried to look into his future and Jess, well Jess tried to let go of his past. A part of him whispered that he'd never be able to though. That she'd always be a part of him. a part he couldn't just throw away. That it didn't matter what she did or that she was having another man's baby. That she'd always hold his heart. It was hell his hell.


	4. Who knows where this path will lead

I don't own Gilmore girls

Lorelai tried to enjoy her honeymoon she really did but she couldn't not really. Not with the worry of Rory and the baby on her mind.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Lorelai whispered as she looked out over the crystal blue waters.

"Lorelai she'll be fine." Luke sighed. Worried about his step daughter but still trying to understand the things Jess had told him in there last phone conversation.

Lorelai slipped from his grasp and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was going to call Rory.

 _I loved him in a way I've never loved another, that's why I could never give him another chance because I would break, crumble. I wasn't strong enough. With Logan it was easy it was fun, and then it became more but he never had my heart not really. It wasn't mine to give away after all because it was still held in the hands of another._

Rory sighed and pushed the lap top off of her lap. She didn't know why she was writing this part of her story. She wasn't even there but it was like she was writing backwards. Writing as it came to her. No rhyme or reason to the pattern.

She leaned her head against the back of her mother's couch and as she did she thought of the other Gilmore girl. Her grandmother would have to be told about the baby she knew that. She knew it but she feared it, feared the disappointment she'd see in her grandmother's eyes. Feared the reaction when she learned that it was Logan's baby. Logan who was marrying a French Heiress.

She feared she'd hear similar words to those spoken when her father got with Sherry about how it should be her not the other woman, but Rory was the other woman. It was a bitter pill to swallow to admit that but it was the truth.

She had a way of finding herself in that role. The other woman. The one people frowned at and wagged their finger. Except did they really. She remember with Dean everyone knew. They knew but no one was brave enough to confront her. No one but Lindsey's mother. She shivered remembering the shattered look on Lindsey's face. She'd promised herself she'd never do that again yet here she was twelve years later and not only the other woman but carrying the child of a man about to marry.

"He's right I really haven't learned anything." She whispered to herself.

She shook her head and tried to bring everything back into focus, one problem at a time. Yes she needed to tell her grandmother, but she couldn't not yet first she had to tell Logan. Because if Emily Gilmore knew all of Hartford society would know first Logan then her grandmother.

Easier said than done she thought remembering that Logan still hadn't returned her call and it had been days. She thought to call him again but she was scared. Scared of his reaction, of his demands. Of just his voice. Would he be there, would he flee, would he break off the wedding and demand she marry him? The possibilities scared her.

Her mom and Luke had left for their Honeymoon and Rory was alone in the crap shack. "Alone with too much time to think, or maybe not enough." She sighed.

Her phone rang causing her to jump. She looked down seeing it was her mother. "Hey shouldn't you be relaxing in the sun and enjoying your new husband."

"Ooh how I like that word." Lorelai squealed causing Rory to laugh. "Maybe I should but I wanted to call and check on you see how things were going."

"They're fine. Working on my book my appointment is tomorrow, so I'll see the baby at least I figure I'm eight weeks along." She shivered lightly remembering the night with Logan in that inn him Colin, Finn and Robert bought out.

"Oh Sweets I wish I could be there." Lorelai said well a world away in the Virgin Islands.

"No mom you enjoy your honeymoon I'm fine here and tell Luke I said Hi."

"I will, and kid call me if you need anything."

"Okay." Rory assured her though she knew she wouldn't. She wouldn't infringe on her mother's honeymoon. She hung up the phone and it wasn't even a second later that it rang again. glancing down at the caller ID her breath caught in her throat. Her stomach tightened and her heart dropped.

 **LOGAN**

Her breath quickened, her mouth and throat dried she wasn't sure she could breath as she picked up the phone and answered it with fumbling fingers.

"Hell…o" the word came out in a stuttered shaky whisper.

Logan had gotten her message days before but it had taken everything in him, every ounce of stranghth and courage to call her back. Wondering what she could want. She'd said good bye. They had said goodbye. He was supposed to marry Odette to be happy. Yet her name was burned into his brain. Her scent into his memory the feel of her forever in his thoughts as he dialed her number and waited for her to pick up the phone. Not knowing how his life would change with just a few short words.

As Rory sat on a couch in Stars Hollow about to find out how her life was going to turn, and Logan sat in his Apartment not aware of the bombshell about to be dropped. Jess was throwing bags into a car in Philadelphia. "Why are you leaving again you just got back? You should have just stayed there if you were going back so soon." Matt said standing on the sidewalk and watching him.

Jess gave a long suffering sigh and looked up at his friend. "Yeah maybe, but I have my reason's for coming back. I promised Luke I'd watch the diner for him well he was gone though and I've already got a late start."

"Doesn't he have other people for that?" Chris asked.

"Yeah, but he wanted Family watching it." Jess gave a chuckle as he thought of Luke's pleading with him before the wedding. Worried about what havoc, Kirk and TJ could cause. Worried about Ceaser trying to take over again and adding odd things to the menu as he had in the past. He'd promised Luke he would go but now he was dreading it. Dreading seeing her again. Being thrown into her orbit. He was staying above the diner. He couldn't handle Liz or TJ and he really couldn't handle Doula and her questions. Here he was going back to the town that had torn him apart again and cursing himself every step of the way as he slide into the car and aimed it towards Connecticut.

Five People connected in a web of lies, hurt, pain love in a play of life that would never be the same, could never be the same walking similar but different paths. No one knowing where they would end up on the twisting path of life.


End file.
